Linfield boss David Healy has reveald he had boos ringing in his ears in the immediate aftermath of last Saturday’s 5-0 rout of Dungannon Swifts at Windsor Park.
The jovial jeers came from Healy’s players after their manager laid out a testing training schedule ahead of today’s trip to Warrenpoint Town.
Talking drills and demands after a 5-0 win? Such are the standards when you’re leading the pack in the title run-in and chasing down a fourth successive Gibson Cup.
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“I think I got booed out of the dressing room after the Dungannon game when I said we would be working hard again in training,” said Healy.
“But those are the standards we need to set at this club and our attitude will need to be spot on down at Warrenpoint. It’ll be a tough game.
“We’ll have a big and expectant crowd who might expect us to be 2-0 or 3-0 up after 20 minutes, so it’s important we manage expectations.”
Many wondered if the title pendulum had swung away from Linfield when they suffered a 1-0 defeat to rivals Glentoran at the BetMcLean Oval on February 11.
But five straight wins later the Blues are lying top with six games left, a point clear of Cliftonville and five above the Glens whose form has dipped in recent weeks.
While Healy’s men have taken maximum points from their last five outings, the Glens, who drew 1-1 at Ballymena United last weekend, have taken seven from a possible 15.
A win in Saturday's early 12.30pm kick-off at Milltown, to accommodate live Sky coverage, would see Linfield edge further clear of their closest rivals before they next play.
Cliftonville don’t have a fixture this weekend, while the Glens host Carrick Rangers on Monday night, again live on Sky Sports.
“After the Glentoran game I gave the players a target of maximising our points return out of our last six games before the split,” said Healy.
“We’ve won five of those six games so we’re 80-odd percent of the way there. The boys are building a bit of momentum and that’s key at this stage of the season.
“I’ve been saying it for weeks now, it’s not about performances, it’s about results. Having said that, if you produce a good solid performance, you normally get a win.
“We did that last Saturday against Dungannon and our focus now turns to Warrenpoint who are fighting for their lives and battling for every point to stay in the division.”
TODAY’S GAMES (3pm unless stated): Warrenpoint Town v Linfield (12.30pm); Coleraine v Glenavon; Dungannon Swifts v Crusaders.
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